Unusual facts and figures
Earliest painted portrait in the collection?
King Henry VII
by Unknown Netherlandish artist
1505
NPG 416
First portrait acquired?
(acquired in 1856)
William Shakespeare
associated with John Taylor
circa 1610
NPG 1
Tallest portrait?
{nearly 4 metres tall, 208 times taller than the smallest portrait}
Statesmen of World War I
by Sir James Guthrie
1924-1930
NPG 2463
Biggest portrait?
(nearly 5.3 metres wide, 52,000 times larger than the smallest)
General Officers of World War I
by John Singer Sargent
1922
NPG 1954
Smallest portrait?
(barely larger than a thumbnail)
Henrietta Anne, Duchess of Orleans
copy attributed to Jean Petitot, possibly after Pierre Mignard
17th century?
NPG 1606
Thinnest portrait?
(nearly 4 times taller than it is wide)
Rudyard Kipling
by Harry Furniss
1880s-1900s
NPG 3478
Squattest portrait?
(nearly 4 times wider than it is high)
King Edward VI
attributed to William Scrots
1546
NPG 1299
Portrait with most identified sitters?
(nearly 400 figures, 320 of which have been identified)
The House of Commons, 1833
by Sir George Hayter
1833-1843
NPG 54
Sitter represented most?
(Queen Elizabeth II, represented in 326 Primary Collection portraits)
Queen Elizabeth II
by Eve Arnold
1968
NPG P520